Republican gubernatorial hopeful Lindy Blanchard this past weekend announced the release of two new television advertisements on the offensive against incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey.
Blanchard’s latest ad campaign comes on the heels of polling that shows Ivey with a commanding lead over the GOP primary field in her bid for reelection.
According to the poll, conducted by Emerson College and The Hill in coordination with Nexstar’s WHNT News 19, Ivey holds a 64% approval rating among Republican primary voters. The governor enjoys 48% support among likely Republican voters, followed by businessman Tim James with 11% and Blanchard with 8%.
In an effort to chip away at Ivey’s numbers, the Blanchard campaign is seeking to hone in on issues where it sees that the governor could be most vulnerable.
The first 30-second spot takes a shot at Ivey over her support of the 2019 state gas tax increase, the governor’s comments regarding Alabama’s low vaccination rates, and her absence from former President Donald Trump’s in-state rallies.
“Does Kay Ivey make sense to you? Ivey proudly raised our gas tax,” says the ad narrator. “It’s crushing us at the pump. And Ivey said on the pandemic: ‘It’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks.’ Blame the unvaccinated? That earned Ivey praise from Biden and Fauci. And why don’t we ever see Ivey rally with President Trump in Alabama? Kay Ivey makes funny comments. Her actions speak louder than her words.”
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An additional 30-second spot highlights Blanchard’s previous service as a Trump-appointed U.S. ambassador to Slovenia. The ad also seeks to contrast Blanchard and Ivey’s views on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, among other issues.
“President Trump trusted Lindy Blanchard with national security issues because Lindy is strong, conservative and tough,” the ad narrator says. “And she backs it up. Lindy believes the election was stolen from Trump. Kay Ivey thinks Biden’s victory was legitimate. Lindy believes Alabama should not do business with the Chinese. Kay Ivey expanded Chinese trade. Lindy will appoint conservatives as judges. Kay Ivey appointed Democrats to the bench. Trump-tested, conservative to the core. A clear choice. Lindy Blanchard for Governor.”
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Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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